The shipping platform

Location: Halifax is a large deep water seaport situated on the E coast of Nova Scotia approached directly from the Atlantic and within 130km of the great circle route from Northern Europe to New York. General overview: The harbour is naturally well sheltered with the large inner Bedford Basin. Halifax is an all weather port, free of ice in the winter season with common user and private berths and transit sheds. The two modern container terminals, South End Terminal at the harbour entrance and Fairview Cove Terminal in Bedford Basin, are equipped with gantry cranes and stern loading Ro-Ro ramps. The harbour is used as a regular port of call for container and cruise vessels and is also the site of an oil refinery, shipyards with drydocks, graving docks and marine slips and many marine-based businesses. Most berths are intermodel with direct access to an on-dock rail service. Special railway equipment is available for bulk, breakbulk, heavy-lift and containerised cargo. Principal Commodities: Exports: Grain, gypsum, lumber, containers, fish and general cargo. Imports: Rubber, automobiles, containers, crude oil, etc. More recently, project cargo includes wind turbine parts and equipment. Maritime Forces Atlantic operate a large base from Central Harbour on Halifax shore. As a naval branch of the Canadian Forces, they help maintain national security at sea. Traffic figures: Approx 900 vessels, 12,239,000t of cargo including over 490,000TEU and 176,000 passengers handled annually. Load line zone: North Atlantic Winter Seasonal Area. For ships over 100m in length, Winter Dec 16 to Feb 15, Summer Feb 16 to Dec 15. For ships of 100m or less in length, Winter Nov 1 to Mar 31, Summer Apr 1 to Oct 31.